The 42-year-old father of two from Galway only took up rowing two years ago, but plans to trek from the Canary Island to Antigua in the Caribbean.
The journey forms part of the World’s Toughest Row, an annual rowing race in which participants travel from one side of the Atlantic Ocean to the other.
“Once you’re in the middle of the ocean, you can’t ring a helicopter to pick you up,” Mr MacLoughlin said, acknowledging the very real dangers of what he is about to do.
“You’re calling a Mayday, and you might be boarding a 300-metre tanker going to Angola, which is where you’re going, too.
Galway businessman Daragh MacLoughlin on a training exercise in Galway Bay for the World’s Toughest Row. Picture: Daragh MacLoughlin.
“I’m not making that call. I’m a guy who believes he can do this.”
He has already flown out to the Canary Islands for the scheduled departure of December 12. The Clarinbridge man will therefore be away from wife Suzanne and daughters Maeve and Saoirse over Christmas and into January.
More than simply aiming to push himself to the limit, Mr MacLoughlin is setting out to raise at least €10,000 for two charities close to his heart.
One of these charities is Debra which fundraises for those suffering the incurable genetic condition known as epidermolysis bullosa (EB) or “butterfly skin”.
The other charity is Irish Dogs for the Disabled which breeds and trains dogs to assist people with specific physical disabilities.
The ones fighting tooth and nail for their people are the ones that really deserve support
At the time of writing, he has raised €6,000 and asks for all donations to be split between both charities.
“Thankfully, in our family, we have no-one afflicted by a life-altering condition,” he said.
“We support charities which are small enough to retain that fighting passion but big enough to make a difference.
“The ones fighting tooth and nail for their people are the ones that really deserve support.”
Alejandra Livschitz of Debra said Daragh’s “incredibly brave” challenge will be appreciated by everyone who lives with EB in Ireland, and the families caring for them.
The self-employed owner of a website-building and management company has spent the past tow-and-a-half years deep in preparation for the race.
Over the course of the race, Mr MacLoughlin is expected to row for approximately 18 hours per day during which he will burn 5,000 calories. He will lose around 8kg in body weight over the distance.
He will eat mostly freeze-dried food including seeds and nuts, and sea water fit for drinking thanks to an onboard desalination system.
You will be looking for every excuse to get out of it
Regardless of the physical adversity he will face, he knows he cannot afford to give into the mental demands of staying focused on his end-goal.
“When you’re out there and your body hurts, you’re sleep deprived, your cabin is like a sauna, you have to be very mentally strong to put yourself in a position to row,” he said.
“You will be looking for every excuse to get out of it.
“Some people, when they find out you’re doing it, can be a bit negative and unimpressed, because of the risks involved.”